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Greg used to hate the night. When Knight had passed away, Greg found it terribly lonely at night. He found storms were worse at night, his thoughts consumed him, and the stitches on his neck seemed to itch at him in the dark. His exhaustion from work never won against the late night thoughts that would cross his mind. Instead of rest, he found himself trying to grasp at the purpose of living when everything in his life seemed to be a reminder that he was only still here to be of service to others.
Greg used to get terrible nightmares. They came every night and left him whimpering. His dreams plagued by twisted memories of his former life and his current one. He would wake up in a cold sweat, whimpering and reliving the haunting nightmare in his mind. He usually had the same few nightmares; Officer Knight disappointed in him for how he felt when the man sacrificed his life for his, Petey the World's Most Evilest Cat finally finishing the job, and the worst one of all always had him alone with no one to care for him.
So Greg used to sleep during the day. It got him in trouble at work, but Greg couldn't bring himself to burden Chief with his nightmares. They had a job after all and nobody really wanted to hear his excuses. It was easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.
It wasn't until a small kitten entered his life that the night didn't seem so terrible anymore. He was no longer alone when he had Lil Petey with him. All negative thoughts seemed to vanish whenever he felt the kitten's slowed breathing and gentle purrs on his chest. When Lil Petey was in his home every weekend, Greg felt content. Sure, the week was harsh but Greg always had the weekend to look forward to.
Everything changed one evening. Greg had gotten home after a battle against giant sentient sippy cups. Living so far away from the fight and having to walk all the way there carrying parts of 80-HD made his bones ache and feel weary. He had placed 80-HD in the Supa Friends room. Lil Petey would repair him when he came home for the weekend. Greg had sunk into the couch, his arms crossed over his eyes when his door received a knock. His ears perked up from curiosity before going to answer the door.
Outside stood his former arch nemesis and the small kitten that had changed both of their lives. Petey seemed embarrassed as he explained the condition of his lab and how Lil Petey would probably stay with Greg full time until he could figure out what to do. Lil Petey yawned and lifted his arms up for the dog headed cop to pick him up. Greg obeyed and scooped him up, nodding to Petey.
"Well, I better get going. It is late and you were probably heading to bed. Goodnight Lil Petey, I will visit you soon. Goodnight, Dog Man" Petey said, turning to leave. Greg was thrilled to have the kitten in his home for an indefinite amount of time. However, seeing the father of the boy in his arms leave to sleep outside made the dog feel guilty. Greg had made peace with what Petey had done to him and to Officer Knight, maybe even forgiven him. It was just hard to forget the things that the orange tabby did in his past and all the harm it caused.
"Woof woof!" Greg barked out, getting Petey's attention. He was almost down the little path down the hill when he turned. Greg awkwardly shifted to sign to Petey to come inside. He had almost expected the cat to reject his offer, but Petey agreed and came inside, helping tuck Lil Petey into his bed and settling him into sleep.
That was months ago. Petey and Greg grew as people during their time living together. They saw sides of one another they had never seen of the other. Greg had come to understand and even admire Petey as a person. Cohabitating with the cat made him see the characteristics of his former nemesis that he never saw before.
Like how Petey was restless at night. Greg would have to beg Petey to stop working for the evening and to retire for the evening. Petey would oblige and follow Greg up to bed, but Greg knew that he wouldn't stay there forever. Just until Greg went to sleep. He would stay long enough for Greg to be almost asleep before he would go down to work himself to exhaustion.
It was two months in when Petey started talking to the half asleep Greg, thinking he was unaware of the things being told to him. It had been long day for the both of them. Greg had worked a long shift at the station, Petey had unwillingly agreed to let Lil Petey and Molly have a play date at their home, and by the end of the day they were exhausted. Greg had once again pleaded with Petey to give it a rest and pick back up on his work in the morning. Petey sighed and followed the dog up the stairs and into the dog bed they both shared.
They both laid side by side, the room silent except for Lil Petey's soft breathing from his makeshift bed. He would eventually find his way into the already cramped bed during the night, but neither minded it much. Greg was almost asleep when he heard Petey began to speak.
"I can't figure out why you have treated me as kindly as you have" Petey said aloud, staring at the ceiling. Greg opened his eye just enough to see that Petey wasn't looking at him, so he quickly closed it back, not wanting to let him know that he heard him.
"For years, I made your's and Officer Knight's lives difficult with ridiculous schemes to bring about as much pain and chaos as I was feeling. I killed your best friend and the only family you had ever known and almost killed you as well, but turned you into this... This nightmare of everything you had lost. A constant reminder of who you lost so that you could still live. And even while dealing with the grief and other feelings I couldn't possibly imagine, you still endured my torture as well as the abuse of people who can't even fathom the things you have gone through" Petey told him, his voice sounding a little raspy as if he was trying to force the words to come out.
"I abandoned Lil Petey and you took him in. I jeopardized his safety time and time again for my own plans to take over the city. He is my clone yet you taught him how to be a good person. My mother's love was in him and you helped him realize it instead of letting him become a mini version of me. I feel awful everytime he is happy to see me. I feel like he should hate me too. You both should. And if I am totally honest, it makes me feel guilty that you guys want me around even though I was horrible" he continued. His words were quiet now, barely above a whisper, as if he would break if he spoke any louder. Greg could only lay there, afraid that any movement would startle Petey and he would never open up like this again.
"You're a good guy, Dog Man. Better than I could ever be. I want to apologize for everything I have ever done to you and to Officer Knight. I know that won't fix what I did to you. Nothing can ever fix the pain I have inflicted on you. You took me in when you didn't have to. Even if it was just for Lil Petey's benefit. I guess... I guess this is just a long winded way of saying thanks. For letting me crash here while I try to rebuild my lab and my life. For caring for Lil Petey like you do. For treating me like a person when I don't deserve to be, especially not by you. Sleep well, Dog Man" Petey ended. He stood up and silently went down the stairs to go back to tinkering on whatever he was working on before. Greg opened his eyes, his heart feeling heavy.
Things got better in the daytime after that night. Greg couldn't tell if it was Petey or himself that was the cause of the shift in the their dynamic because of the monologue Petey got off of his chest. It wasn't as awkward anymore. When Petey offered to help around the house, Greg allowed him. When Greg would invite Petey to join in on playing music, Petey would join and the whole house would be enveloped in the harmony between the piano and the ukulele.
The one sided night conversations happened weekly after the first one. Things that Petey just seemed to bottle up, figuring he had no one to tell or that no one would want to hear his inner thoughts. Petey talked about different things, like whatever project he was working on, whatever shenanigans Lil Petey got into when Greg was at work, Petey's past and how he was trying to figure out how to move on to become a better person and a better father, and things that the feline had noticed about Greg himself. The little quirks that Greg didn't know he had until Petey told him. Like how he apparently sways his hips a little when happy, probably a habit from when he used to have a tail. Or that Greg often circles around before he sits or lays down. Or that Greg allowed Petey and Lil Petey to hog the blanket and pillow when all three happened to be sleeping at the same time.
Greg couldn't help but look forward to the weekly night chats that Petey would have with him. And after just a few weeks, Greg realized that he looked forward to more than just that. He would get excited to see Petey every time he came home. Or how his mind would drift off to him while at work, which would inevitably lead to him getting scolded for not staying focused. He found himself smiling at Petey more often. That when they sat on the couch together to read or watch a movie with Lil Petey, Greg found himself wanting to sit closer and closer to the orange cat than he ever did before. Feelings that he had never felt before and was positive the cat didn't feel in return blossomed in his chest and almost suffocated him anytime he even thought about Petey.
It was six months after the first monologue when it happened. Petey's one sided conversations with a half-asleep Greg had went from once a week to practically every day. Petey would talk about the ordinary things about his day or whatever was on his mind at the time. However, it didn't matter what he said as long as Petey was saying it to him. Greg laid in bed, patiently waiting for Petey to start talking about anything going on in his mind.
"I think I am falling for you, Dog Man" Petey confessed aloud. He turned to face the dog, who definitely felt pressure to seem as asleep and unaware as he possibly could in the moment. Greg felt his heart beating faster than he would have liked, hoping it wouldn't give it all away.
"I know you could never feel the same for me. I understand that. Just because we are friendly and coparent Lil Petey doesn't mean you want anything to do with me. And I deserve that. But I can't help that you have wedged you way into my mind. I constantly think of you. Not like I did before, not ways to destroy you. I mean like wondering how your day at work is. If you actually liked the terrible food I cook or if you just pretend to so my feelings aren't hurt. How good you are with Lil Petey. I have been putting off starting the reconstruction of my lab just because seeing you everyday makes me feel like I am floating. And that terrifies me" Petey added. He brought his knees to his chest and held them close against him.
"I'm no good at relationships. Never was and probably never will be. My parents weren't exactly a shining example of how to be a good couple. I've never even thought of people in this way before! I thought it was just some made up thing that people do to convince people that they are happy. Even if by some miracle you felt the same about me as I do you, I am not sure if I would even be capable of love like that. Or that my love wouldn't be good enough for anyone, let alone you. You deserve the world, Greg. Unfortunately, I am not even crumb compared to it" Petey continued, his voice shaky. This was the first time anyone had called him Greg since the explosion. Greg wanted more than anything to jump up and lick the cat's face, but knew if he did so he would just frighten Petey and he would deny it ever happening.
"I don't like kissing. Or what comes after. Maybe that means I am broken. But it is who I am. And I want nothing more than for us one day to hold hands while walking or nap on top of each other on the couch after a particularly grueling day. I want to make you laugh with my dumb sassy quips and make you smile so much that it hurts. I want to show you that I care for you now that I have seen you for you. I know this is absurd, but you make the pain and anger go away. I feel safe with you. I have never felt so safe and cared for here except by my mom. She would have loved you. Maybe even tell me that I shouldn't let you get away. But, I care for you too much to let you end up with a guy like me. I am sure my feelings will fade away after a while, and this can be a funny joke I share with you in the future. Goodnight, Dog Man" Petey said. He hesitated for a moment before leaving a gently smooch on his forehead. He then stood up, getting ready to head back downstairs when Greg grabbed his hand, causing him to stop.
"Wait, you're awake? How much of that did you hear?!" Petey asked, his face flushed as he looked panicked. Greg let go of him so that he could sign.
"I want you. I want to watch Lil Petey grow up together. I want to hold hands as we walk in the park or laugh at your sassy quips. I want to try. I want nothing more than for us to cuddle together. I want to be a family. I want you in my family. You and Lil Petey."
"You are making a mistake, Dog Man-"
"Greg. I want you to call me Greg."
"What?" Petey asked, taken aback. His heart was beating out of his chest. So many things were happening at once and it was difficult to process everything happening.
"My name is Greg. Officer Knight gave it to me. I don't want my name to be forgotten. I am not making a mistake. Not about my name or about wanting you. I want to give us a try. Please, Petey. We can do this together" Greg sighed. When he finished, he grasped both of Petey's paws, holding them. Petey searched into Greg's eyes, as if he was searching for something. As if Greg was lying to hurt him. After a moment, Petey exhaled deeply, his shoulders slumping. He plopped back into bed, bringing Greg with him.
"Okay."
"Okay?"
"I will give us a try. Just, be patient with me. Emotions aren't my strong suit" Petey answered. Greg felt his hips wiggle. He wanted more than anything to lick the cat, but knew that the cat very much disliked it. So instead, he gently butted foreheads with him. It felt vulnerable, having their heads touching. However, Greg didn't mind at all. Neither did Petey.
Greg used to hate the night, but with Petey in his life, the night has become a special and cherished time. He hoped for nothing more that it stayed like that forever.
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Petey used to hate the morning. He was a bad sleeper, so being awake before noon felt like a crime to him when he did eventually fall asleep in the late hours of the night. Everything was busy in the morning, slow and often with lots of people to bother him. Not to mention it often reminded him of his late mother.
Grace had loved mornings. She would often wake Petey up just to watch the sun rise from behind the horizon. She loved how the flowers seemed more alive during the morning and that you could feel the city come alive. Petey remembers that she would hum beautiful melodies as she cooked breakfast for the two, sometimes three if Big Jim had come over, of them. Petey almost wished that he found the same beauty in it as she did, but couldn't bring himself to do it.
When Petey lived alone, he invested in a lot of things to help him stay asleep and avoid having to be up in the morning. His lab was soundproof so the noise from early morning traffic wouldn't disturb him, every window had blackout curtains to prevent even a single ray of morning light shing through into the laboratory, and Petey made sure that there was absolutely no morning deliveries to his house or else the delivery person would face his wrath. With all of these measures to ensure that he slept well, it only worked about half of the time. So Petey would lay in bed on those mornings it didn't work, miserable and blaming the universe for all of his problems.
When Lil Petey came into his life, the morning was something that Petey had to come to terms with. At first, Petey despised his kitten clone's insistence that they both had to be awake when the kitten was awake. But as time went on, he didn't hate it is much as he did before, but grew to tolerate it for the sake of the kitten.
The beginning of the change happened the first morning after Petey and Son was destroyed. Petey woke up, feeling confused. This wasn't his lab. Then, all of the memories from the night before hit him. How his father created sentient sippy cup monsters that destroyed his home. How Dog Man asked him to stay with him and Lil Petey, even though Petey was already planning to sleep in the park that evening. How Dog Man and Lil Petey insisted that he should sleep upstairs in the dog's bed as it was comfier than the couch. That is where he was now. Looking around the all too bright room, he noticed both his former nemesis and clone son were missing. Instead, there was a note next to Petey in the dog bed.
"Petey, took Lil Petey grocery shopping so we can have breakfast. Not sure when you will be awake but didn't want you to be alarmed. Dog Man" Petey read aloud. He rolled his eyes and crumpled up the note, tossing it over his shoulder. It was only after doing that did he smell the wonderful aroma of coffee. He also heard sounds of frying and music playing downstairs. Petey groaned and stood up, stretching everything before heading down stairs.
In the kitchen, Greg stood over the stove as he flipped eggs over. There was a rather large stack of pancakes on a plate next to him. Lil Petey sat at the dining table, coloring and quietly humming the music being played from the record player. When Greg noticed Petey's presence, he turned around and smiled at him, waving his spatula to greet him before pointing to the coffee pot. Petey gravitated to it as if he needed it in order to live, which at this moment he felt like he did. He then took a seat next to Lil Petey at the table.
"What are you drawing there, kid?" Petey asked, only really half interested. He took a long sip of the coffee and felt his shoulders relaxed. It was perfect.
"I am drawing our family, Papa" Lil Petey answered. He put his crayon down and lifted the paper up for Petey to see. Petey frowned, his eyes furrowing at the drawing the kitten had made. The picture had Petey, Lil Petey, Dog Man, and 80-HD all smiling and holding hands together in a sunny field. In big bold letters it was captioned "My Family."
"Kid, we are not a family. You and I are a family. You just hang out with Dog Man sometimes. And 80-HD is a robot, he has no family" Petey said. He saw Dog Man whip around, ready to bark and probably fuss at the former villain. But Lil Petey sat his drawing down, picked up his crayon, and went back to coloring.
"Well I like my version of our family better, Papa. It doesn't hurt to have more people to love and be loved by" the kitten told him simply before humming along to the current song playing. Petey sighed before taking another sip of his coffee. He glanced up to see the disappointed look on Dog Man's face before he turned back to finish making breakfast for them all. Petey shouldn't have to care what Dog Man thought. So why did he?
Everyday since Petey moved in, Dog Man left him little notes to wake up to. They started out mundane, things that could have been text messages. Things that didn't need the waste of paper, ink, and time. Like how Dog Man had to go in early or stay late, that he would take Lil Petey with him to work or to the pond to play with the Baby Frogs and Molly, or what the weather would be for the day so he could prepare his day around it. Petey also noticed that every morning when he woke up, he smelled the sweet aroma of fresh coffee waiting for him. It always got the reluctant cat out of bed, carrying the note of the day with him to retrieve his much needed dose of caffeine. After a few weeks, Petey started keeping every little note that Dog Man wrote, hidden away so no one could find his secret stash.
It was a couple of months in when Petey noticed a shift in the notes left for him in the morning. They were getting longer, almost more like a conversation rather than an alert. The first of these notes puzzled Petey.
"Petey, I took Lil Petey to the pond today so you can have the place to yourself today. I will bring him home once I get off work. I noticed that you fixed the living room light. Thank you, I really appreciate it. I'm glad you are here to help fix things like that. Dog Man" the letter read. Petey sat, dazed. He wanted to shred it to pieces. Scoff at it and tell Dog Man how dumb these notes were and that it was the least he could do for freeloading off of the cop. However, Petey couldn't bring himself to do it. He carried the letter downstairs and grabbed his cup of coffee before reading the letter again. Then again. What was the dog's game? Why would he leave him a letter like this? Petey figured it would be a one time occurence.
However, the letter he received the next day was just like the day prior. Petey squinted his eyes as he tried to read it.
"Petey, took Lil Petey to the park this morning. We should be back home by lunchtime. There is leftover donuts for breakfast in case you are hungry. I really liked the song you played on the ukulele for Lil Petey yesterday. Knight's mom used to sing that to us when I was a puppy. You did a great job playing it. Greg" it said. Petey had to double check it to make sure that his eyes weren't deceiving him in this rather bright light shining through Dog Man's window. He really had signed off as Greg and not Dog Man. Why would he do that? Petey got up and went downstairs to get coffee, frowning at the clock when he realized it was only 8 am. He sighed and drank the coffee straight from the pot this time. Why would Dog Man torture him like this?
The letters continued like this and Petey kept them all stashed away in a hidden box. They were his little secrets to keep. They made his heart flutter reading them and when he was having a bad day, he would take time to go back and reread a few. They always managed to cheer him up. Things also seemed easier around Dog Man. It no longer felt awkward being around his former enemy, but like they were a well oiled machine with how well they seemed to work together.
In fact, it seemed like they worked too well together. Petey's feelings began to get complicated the longer he stayed here. Dog Man was constantly on his mind, wondering how he was doing at work or what he was thinking in that exact moment. Petey's heart ached as he watched Dog Man play with Lil Petey, smiles on both of their faces too irresistible to look away from. This was no good. Petey didn't deserve to feel this way about Dog Man. Dog Man didn't deserve Petey pining after him. The cop could do a lot better than him.
It wasn't until the morning after he confessed his feelings to Dog Man Greg that things changed up. Petey had actually went to sleep the same time Greg had. When Petey woke up that morning, Greg was not at his side like he had secretly hoped for. Instead, he found a rather long note in his place. Petey picked it up.
"Petey, I figured you wanted to sleep in a little more this morning so I decided it would be easier to confess to things in writing rather than having to sit on them until you woke up. You are not broken. You are perfect just the way you are. There are so many things about you that I love, it feels me with joy! Like your cooking, I really do love it. Or when you quietly repair things without me even asking. Or how you try to hide your romance novels by changing the cover jackets to science ones. I love that you are here with us. Emotions are difficult things to grasp, especially with the tumultuous relationship we had in the past. I have a few things to confess of my own. I never was asleep during any of it. I looked forward to your secret conversations at night since the first one all those months ago. They helped me push through even my hardest days. My life was filled with grief and loneliness before you and Lil Petey came into it. Now I am happy. I feel like I belong. That I am never truly alone because I have you both here for me. So please stay. I want to try as hard as I can to make this relationship work. I don't want kisses or anything more than that. I just want to hold you close in the night. I want to hold your hand and listen to everything going on in your mind. I want to wake up each morning with you groggily fighting to stay asleep and go to bed each night with you indulging me in taking a break from your work. Our love may not be normal, but it is ours. And I don't want it any other way. I may deserve the world but there is no world for me without you. If you don't hear us downstairs, Lil Petey and I are at the beach. Please join us, I will pack a picnic basket for us to eat on. I really hope to see you with us soon. Sincerely yours, Greg" it read. Petey's eyes betrayed him and left tear drops onto the letter he held. Petey wiped his eyes and took a big sniff, getting a whiff of the usual coffee that always waited for him. Petey held the letter close to him as he went down the stairs. He rummaged through the cabinets until he found a travel mug, pouring as much of the coffee he could into it. He then headed out the door.
On the beach, Greg sat close to the water so he could keep a close eye on both the kitten and their stuff. Greg watched as the kitten splashed around in the water happily. He didn't even realize the older tabby cat had joined them until he sat right next to Greg. Greg felt nervous to look at him after the letter he had left this morning.
"Hey, Greg?" Petey asked, staring ahead at their son. Greg's ears perked and he turned to face Petey.
"I am glad we are together. We can just be who we are" he said simply. Greg smiled, laying his head against him.
"I like our little family" he signed. Petey smiled, feeling at ease here. It didn't matter who saw them like this. No one else existed to them in this moment.
"I like our little family too" Petey said happily. Petey hoped for many more mornings with his family and Greg hoped that the nights they would spend together would last together. It was funny how things they used to hate suddenly became things they loved.